Ryn and Goran arrived at the recruitment site and once again signed the same notice.
80 Soldiers – 70 Mages
East Gate
2 Days
Morning
After reading the announcement, they went their separate ways, agreeing to meet again at the appointed time.
When the day finally came, both of them returned to the gathering point and waited for the order to mobilize.
Soon, the Divine commander arrived—dragging along several wooden crates—and announced his name in a lazy, disinterested voice.
"I, Lucian Belmont, will be leading this operation."
The marching order was then issued.
This trial was located to the southeast, not far from Central.
Under normal circumstances, the journey would have taken only half a day.
Yet the march was painfully slow.
Lucian constantly stopped and resumed at his own whim, burdened by the excessive luggage he insisted on bringing along.
The soldiers grew increasingly puzzled as the day wore on and they still had not reached their destination.
By the time evening approached, they finally arrived at a potential campsite.
Before even the first tent could be raised, Lucian shouted,
"I'm not setting up camp here. We'll be moving again tomorrow—what a nuisance."
He continued immediately,
"Why don't we push deeper in? Let's camp closer to their nest. We'll attack tomorrow, finish it, and head back right away. No wasted time."
His complaints did not stop.
"I hate sleeping in forests. And my father is such a bore—forcing me to come out here. Why couldn't he just let me pass already? What a hassle. Truly annoying."
An adjutant spoke up cautiously,
"Lord Lucian, please lower your voice. The soldiers might hear and lose morale."
Lucian glared at him.
"To hell with them. They're just trainees—tell them to follow orders."
Then, in a sharp, commanding tone,
"You too. My father told you to obey me, not lecture me. Change the campsite. Now."
Ryn, Goran, and the rest of the troops were left in stunned silence.
Camping too close to the Calami nest was an obvious danger.
Whispers of unease began to spread among the soldiers, yet Lucian stubbornly upheld his command.
No matter how much the adjutant protested, Lucian refused to listen.
The army was forced to march onward for several more hours, until they reached the edge of a dense forest near the Calami nest—their target.
"Lord Lucian,"
the adjutant tried again,
"Going any closer will be dangerous. The sun has already set. We should rest here."
Lucian scowled, but finally allowed the halt.
Tents were raised and campfires lit in haste, the soldiers exhausted from the long march.
Lucian, however, retreated into the command tent, uncorked a bottle of liquor, and poured it down his throat.
Outside, the troops busied themselves with preparing and distributing dinner.
Lucian stepped out with one of his wooden crates and shouted,
"Hey, you lot! I've brought some fine liquor for you. Anyone who wants a drink, come and get it!"
Several soldiers exchanged puzzled looks.
The battle had not even begun—why was alcohol already being handed out?
Many first-time trainees eagerly rushed forward, grabbing bottles and drinking greedily.
Though some tried to stop them, it was to no avail.
Ryn felt a growing unease at the scene unfolding before him.
The adjutant tried repeatedly to restrain Lucian, but he was ignored—Lucian continued drinking carefree and unbothered.
Goran walked up to Ryn and muttered,
"This is bad… really bad."
Ryn nodded.
Goran went on,
"Let's just hope nothing happens. Drunk soldiers, and we're this close to a Calami nest…"
He shook his head.
"Ah!"
A female mage's cry rang out.
Ryn and Goran turned at the same time.
Lucian, now thoroughly drunk, had begun harassing the women.
"Come on, I was just having a little fun. You'd think you were being slaughtered with all that screaming,"
he laughed, his voice slurred with alcohol.
He continued roaming the camp, groping the women openly.
The drunken soldiers laughed along at the sight.
Though many were disgusted, none dared to intervene.
They could only sit in silence, faces tense with anxiety as the situation spiraled further out of control.
As midnight passed, the camp remained lively with drunken revelry.
There were no guards posted. No vigilance.
Only laughter, shouting, and the careless joy of intoxicated men echoed through the night.
Ryn, who had remained seated in silence, suddenly felt a familiar, unwelcome scent in the air.
A smell he never wished to encounter again.
He rose to his feet and stared into the darkness beyond the camp, searching for its source.
Goran, who had dozed off, jolted awake and stood up at once.
"What is it?"
he asked, alarmed.
Ryn replied with a grave expression,
"They're here."
Goran jolted in shock the moment he heard it.
"Where? Where are they?"
he asked urgently.
"They've surrounded us,"
Ryn replied, scanning the camp.
Goran swallowed hard.
"Then what do we do?"
Ryn paused for a brief moment before saying,
"Can you warn everyone? I'll go tell Lucian."
The two split up at once.
Goran ran through the camp, trying to wake the soldiers and urge them to prepare.
Ryn headed straight for the adjutant, warning him of the threat closing in.
Though they were far from ready, the sober soldiers began to arm themselves.
Some were still passed out on the ground.
Others staggered to their feet, gripping their swords while barely conscious.
The entire camp was in disarray.
Yet the adjutants paid little attention to the soldiers.
Their focus remained solely on protecting Lucian.
Moments later—
The first Calami burst into the camp and sank its fangs into a dazed soldier.
"Aaagh!"
The first scream rang out.
Then came the rest.
Hundreds of Calami surged forward, flooding into the camp with terrifying speed…